Didn't you go to Teyvat to earn money to support me?

Coral Palace Ryuka kissed his cheek and whispered in his ear, "I don't know how to thank you, my dear child. You are the best child I have ever met... Don't misunderstand, this is a mother's kiss for her child."

Shen Liang was taken aback.

At this moment, the sound of military boots stopped. Shen Liang looked up and saw that a number of people had gathered around him, following behind Wu Lang. Everyone was injured, but they all stood at attention with Wu Lang and had serious expressions.

“Mr. Shen,” Goro said.

He placed his hand on his chest, bowed deeply, and the dozens of soldiers following him bowed as well. Then he raised his head, staring into Shen Liang's eyes, "Thank you for helping an unfamiliar army. On behalf of the Coral Palace army, I salute you. I am sorry that I questioned the authenticity of many of your secrets before. I owe you a debt of gratitude."

The thanks were too formal, and Shen Liang felt a little embarrassed. He was about to wave his hand and say something when he suddenly saw Wu Lang's face change drastically, and something warm was flowing from his nose. He touched it and found it was blood.

"Tsk, got a nosebleed from the cannon blast?"

Just as Shen Liang thought this, she felt dizzy and fell backward into the arms of Coral Palace Liu Ge.

Before he lost consciousness, he heard Goro frantically shouting for a military doctor, and Sangomiya Rika yelling back, "I am the best doctor on Umijima Island, who are you looking for?" He smiled almost imperceptibly and fell into a deep sleep.

------

When he groggily woke up, he immediately saw the light pink ceiling.

This is a truly unfamiliar ceiling.

Shen Liang tried to get up, but found the blanket was very heavy, as if he were tied to the bed. He struggled a couple of times like a carp that didn't want to be put into a pot, but the blanket didn't budge.

He then realized something was wrong.

To his left, tucked under the blanket, was a petite girl with long, pinkish-white hair. Shen Liang almost mistook her for Rosalia, but then realized the girl was a little older. Coral Palace Xin Hai was lying on her side on the left half of the bed. She was curled up because she was probably a little cold and couldn't crawl under his blanket, but her beautiful legs, encased in white stockings, couldn't resist the cold and crawled under the blanket, her bare feet resting on his warm calves.

Shen Liang felt this wasn't right, so she quietly turned her head away, and then became even more confused.

On the other side, Ruka Sangomiya, dressed in a gorgeous twelve-layered kimono, was lying comfortably in his blankets, fast asleep with her arms wrapped around his.

This beautiful war witch was nothing like her shy and innocent niece. Her smooth, long black hair was not tied up at all, and it fell on Shen Liang's arm, feeling cool and refreshing. Shen Liang discovered that she was sleeping on the same pillow as him, and her sweet breath was even on his face!

"I said—" Shen Liang said helplessly, "Stop pretending to be asleep. As priestesses, can't you have a little bit of self-respect? Especially you, Xin Hai, can a maid get into her master's bed?!"

Chapter Fifty-Four: Coral Palace Song's Delusional Attempt to Make You Take the Surname Coral Palace

The two witches, who had been pretending to be asleep, could no longer keep up the act and got up with embarrassed smiles.

"So what are you doing?"

"Healing...healing injuries." Coral Palace Heart Sea looked away, somewhat embarrassed. "The Coral Palace's water-based secret technique, 'Transforming the Sea Moon,' is a very useful healing technique. My aunt and I were worried that you might have some internal injuries, so we spent the whole night repairing you inside and out."

Shen Liang's heart tightened. "Internal injuries?"

"No... After a whole night of treatment, it turned out it was just a nosebleed..."

"Besides, it's normal to feel sleepy while treating someone late at night, right?" Coral Palace Ryuka stood up. Because of the low neckline of her shrine maiden outfit, she perfectly revealed the beautiful and deep cleavage of a mature woman. "Why are you looking at me? Don't think too much. This is my bed. You should be grateful that I'm giving it to you. What, you won't let your aunt sleep in her own bed?"

Shen Liang looked at the Coral Palace Heart Sea.

The little witch hesitated for a moment, then mustered her courage and said, "I'm mainly worried that my aunt might have ulterior motives towards you... I wouldn't be surprised by anything my aunt does, so I'm going to sleep here to keep an eye on her and make sure she doesn't do anything too outrageous."

Shen Liang clicked his tongue in amazement.

Although from a man's perspective, it doesn't really seem like he would mind being done something to by a mature woman like Ruka Sangomiya...

"That's so mean!" Coral Palace Liuge angrily pinched and squashed her niece's cheek. "How dare you question your aunt like that! What do you take your aunt for! How could your aunt possibly make a move on a boy you like? I've been creating opportunities for you two all along!"

"No... please don't shift the topic to me, Auntie!"

Shen Liang pulled back the covers, and then he discovered a serious problem.

“Stop arguing,” he said, staring intently at the two witches. “Who changed my pants?”

Both the young and old witches, blushing, turned their gazes away in tacit agreement.

Shen Liang's heart tightened again.

Then Coral Palace Ryuka chuckled and patted his shoulder hard, "Alright, alright, I'm not teasing you anymore. Goro changed your clothes for you. Honestly, I'm old enough to be your mother, what are you still shy about?"

"That's good..." Shen Liang breathed a sigh of relief, then froze, "Goro!?"

Damn it! My first time being a virgin after arriving in this other world was seen by a man!

Don't you have a single qualified doctor to take responsibility?!

Shen Liang was caught up in self-doubt, so he didn't notice that the two witches on either side of him still had hot faces.

Coral Palace Liuge and Coral Palace Xinhai exchanged a glance; one licked her lips with a mischievous grin, while the other blushed.

—What an idiot!

—Everyone knows his clothes were changed, but did you ever think about... who gave him a bath?

Even after Ruka Coral Palace left the room, her soft, sweet fragrance still lingered.

Shen Liang was extremely weak after just waking up and could only get dressed with the help of Coral Palace Xin Hai. The little shrine maiden knelt behind him, tying his belt around his waist, with a hint of heartache and reproach, "Liangzi, why did you go to the front lines without telling me... Aren't I your little maid?"

She forced herself to say those words while suppressing her shame, but Shen Liang shut her up with a single sentence: "So you forgot to call me master again."

"You!" Coral Palace Xin Hai wrinkled her little nose and continued to tie up his long hair with a hairpin. "Alright, my dear little master, let's not do this again, okay? With your physique, going to the battlefield would be suicide."

"If I don't go up, your Coral Palace is finished this time," Shen Liang said casually. "Tengdou Fortress is much higher than South Island, giving it a commanding position. Once it falls, Shenju Island's artillery cannons can bombard any part of Bayun Island directly from there. Besides, even if you want to use guerrilla tactics, it's impossible. There's the Wuxiang Blade Narrow Pass between Tengdou Fortress and South Island, making it an absolutely safe location. If I don't go up to help this time, it's only a matter of time before you lose control of the entire Bayun Island. Do you really think I shouldn't have gone?"

“No…” the little witch said, sounding a little dejected. “I just think it’s not right for you to do this… and it’s not like you at all.”

She wasn't really sure what she was saying. What kind of style did Shen Liang have? Looking at his cute yet arrogant appearance, he should just be a cunning business strategist or a strange and wonderful inventor. Maybe that was his style.

Coral Palace Heart Sea knew very well that going to the battlefield was something no one could escape. She had also personally been to the front lines. The people of Haiqi Island had experienced iron and blood since childhood.

"But...you're not from Haiqi Island, right? Wouldn't doing something so dangerous...make us Coral Palace seem like we have no hospitality?"

Even Coral Palace Xin Hai herself felt that what she said was somewhat outrageous.

As the Palace Attendant, she said such things without considering the position of Haiqi Island! What does "Anyway, you're not from Haiqi Island" mean? Isn't that just pushing Shen Liang, who was finally tricked onto the pirate ship, back out again?

Such words are completely contrary to the interests of Haigi Island...

—But Coral Palace Heart Sea still felt she had to say it.

Shen Liang gave her a deep look. The little witch looked nervous. He smiled for no reason and nodded, saying, "Okay, I understand."

"If you absolutely have to go, please make sure you take good care of yourself!"

"Okay~" Shen Liang drawled.

He then summoned the system interface and glanced at it.

Name: Coral Palace Heart Sea

[Current progress: 75%]

Coral Palace's Heart Sea has mixed feelings towards you and doesn't want you to leave her sight for too long.

Wait a minute, this description sounds a bit like yandere?

Shen Liang remembered that the last time he checked the progress of the Coral Palace Heart Sea, it was only in the fifties. How come it has skyrocketed to this level after he woke up?

Isn't it almost at full progress?

Shen Liang temporarily suppressed his curiosity about the progress and looked at the Coral Palace Heart Sea, only to find that the little witch still looked conflicted and blushing.

—It seems the little witch has indeed started to develop those inexplicable feelings for me? She's already starting to worry about my safety?

Shen Liang's feelings were also complicated.

On one hand, he was indeed somewhat happy; on the other hand, the little witch was five years younger than him… It's normal for a girl that age to have some thoughts after spending so much time together—it's puberty, after all. But he was no longer a teenage boy…

Well, the progress of this system isn't necessarily about the level of affection, and it's hard to say whether the little witch has those kinds of feelings for him. Making wild guesses is really just wishful thinking.

Then Shen Liang glanced down.

Name: Coral Palace Ruka

[Current progress: 66%]

[Coral Palace Song fantasizes about making you take the surname Coral Palace.]

Hey, you two, what are you trying to do?!

Chapter Fifty-Five: Bestowed the name Hai Yuqian, now the number one person below gods and men.

Coral Palace, now the bedroom and study of the goddess and priestess.

Although nominally a study, this is actually the central authority of Haiji Island, and the private secretariat of the current human goddess priestess.

The locals of Haiji Island commonly refer to it as "Southern Study".

The current priestess oversees military and political affairs here, receiving military personnel and priestesses. At this moment, the study is bustling with people. The generals and ministers of the military, as well as the priestesses in charge of clerical work, each occupy one side of the study, reporting to Coral Palace Ryuka.

Meanwhile, the beautiful, modern-day goddess was yawning and lying on the table, listening intently without any regard for her image.

When Shen Liang and the little witch stepped into the room, all the high-ranking officials turned their gazes toward them, making Shen Liang feel somewhat at a loss.

Coral Palace Ryuka's eyes lit up, and she waved her hand repeatedly, "Come, Ryo-chan, I've been waiting for you for so long, come sit in your big sister's arms."

Shen Liang naturally rejected her shameless request. This person would call herself aunt when she had any sense of shame, and call herself sister when she didn't.

Then, Ruka Sangokami showed a sullen expression and continued to lazily lie on the table, listening to the report with great boredom.

"...In this Battle of Fujito-no-Fortress, the 3rd Division suffered 397 dead and 642 wounded, losing nearly half of its fighting strength. My son's vanguard suffered 83 dead and lost 64 horses. It can be said that the entire army has been severely weakened." A burly-looking general was giving a report. "Fortunately, it is now winter, and the coldest season is just around the corner. Both the Shogunate and Umijima want to wait until it warms up before continuing the war, which will give us some breathing room."